Sophie's job nightmare
by Witch Tekamika
Summary: Sophie gets asked to do some work at the palace for the prince, but what happens next shocks everyone.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer - i don not own howls moving castle. sigh... what a bugger Enjoy! This is a cross between the movie and the book so bear with me people

Howls Moving Castle.

Start at them dropping off Markle for his first day of school. Sophie is hired by Prince Justin to do some seamstress work. Wanting something to fill her day, (Howls doing his work and Markle's now attending a school in Kingsbury) she readily accepts, but with Justin has a plan. To make sophie his.

"Did you remember everything Markel?" Sophie asked as she straightened up the compulsary bowtie that matched his new uniform.

"Yes, Sophie." He smiled. Markel was genuinely excited to be going to school. He was home schooled for the first two years and Sophie thought that it was bad for his childhood development if he didn't have friends his own age, and because Sohpie had to sweet-talk Howl into letting Markel go, Howl still wasn't 100 percent happy, but it was what was best for his apprentice.

"Howl or I will be here at 3 o'clock to take you home, okay?"

Nodding his head, Markel cried "Okay. Because we really are a family now right?"

"Right." Sophie agreed as she stood back with Howl and watched Markel run off into the school yard.

Placing a hand gently aroung her waist, Howl led her away.

"They grow up fast don't they?"

"Yeah," Sophie sighed as she enjoyed Howls half embrace. Resting her short starlight-silver hair in the nook between Howls shoulder and his arm, revelling at his touch on her arm and across her back. Sophie loved every moment they spent together, even if was as simple as getting some groceries to something like helping with another one of his crazy magical experiments.

The young couple walked to a store with 'Wizard Pendragon' emblazon over the door and walked in, but no sooner had Howl gotten back to work and Sophie had sat down to a decent cup of tea, that there was a knock on the door.

"Kingsbury Door!" Calcifer the fire demon shouted from his place in the hearth of the fire place.

Opening it, Howl was not overly happy to see one of the kings messengers.

"Good afternoon sir," he began with a curt bow. "Would Miss Sophie Hatter be here by any chance?"

"Depends on what you want?" Howls brow knitted together in suspicion of the stranger who came looking for _his_ Sophie.

"I am to deliver this letter to her immediately." Holding up the letter, the messenger was clearly starting to shake in his boots under the glare of the wizard.

"I'll be sure to see she gets as soon as possible." Howl said with an evil smirk as he took the letter and shut the door in the mans face before he could anything about it.

"Howell Jenkins! That was very rude indeed." Sophie snapped, her hands on her hips.

"Well, you would get mad, and jealous, if random, strange girls started showing up on our doorstep looking for me so why can't I do the same thing when guys come looking for you?"

"I suppose. But can I have my letter now?" she asked sweetly, looking up at Howl with puppy dog eyes. He had no choice but to give in. She was just way too damn cute when she looked at him like that, so, smiling and acting like a gentlemen, Howl held the letter out to her. When she went to get it from him, however, he threw his hand back and using his free arm, menuvered around her waist pulling her up against him. Sophie tried to pull away, but it was futile. He had a strong grip.

"I thought you were going to let me get my letter."

"Oh yes, but I didn't say it wouldn't come at a cost, my dear." he said smiling slyly at the girl in his grip.

"And what, Mr Jenkins would that cost be?" Sophie asked with a sly smile of her own.

"I'm sure I could think of something" And with that Howl lowered his head and kissed Sophie passiontely. He wouldn't have stopped anytime soon, except for a moaning Calcifer.

"Would you guys get a room already?"

"Sorry Cal." Both faced the fire demon and apologised. Sophie was blushing.

"Here you go, _Cariad._" Howl handed her the letter and placed himself over by the kitchen table to continue whatever he was doing before they left to take his young apprentice to school.

Sophie looked over the letter. It was folded in thirds with the royal seal in a velvet red wax, holding the letter shut.

Breaking the seal, Sophie scanned the letter.

"Hey, Howl." he turned to face her. "Listen to this...

_Ms Sophie Hatter, I request your assistence at the palace. News of your remarkable sewing skills have reached my ears and I now ask you to sew me a suit. I need it for a grand occasion and wish to commision you. You will, naturally be compensated with a decent sum. I would be pleased if you would come to the palace as soon as possible to discuss this arrangement, that is if you agree to it. Thanking you in anticipation, Prince Justin of Ingary. _Well, what do you think?"

"I think that if you want to do it you should. But demand decent hours, like when Markel's at school. He would ge very unhappy if this temporary job of yours got in the way of 'family time' as he calls it."

"yeah, maybe your right."

The very next day, Sophie saw Markel to school, kissed Howl goodbye and went to the palace to see the prince.

Entering the giant halls, her name echoed off the walls as she was announced.

"Ms Hatter! I'm so glad you came." Justin walked right up to Sophie, who politely curtsey.

"I'm accepting the offer you proposed in your letter."

"Marvelous! Simply marvelous. I'm so glad you did, otherwise I would have to get some secound rate seamstress to do it." Justin had a smile going from ear to ear. Sophie couldn't help but smile back. "Please, come with me." He held out his arm, which Sophie graciously took as he lead her down several corridors and into a room where Sophie took measurements and drew the design to the princes specifications.

It was clearly going to be a grand suit, there was no doubt about that.

"So, Sophie. What would you be doing right now if you weren't here?"

This totally random question caught her slightly off guard.

"Well, I suppose I would be cleaning or..." Sophie looked at the time and shrieked. "Om my goodness! I'm so sorry but I have to go." Grabbing her things, she headed towards the door.

"But, why Sophie?" Justin asked slightly confused.

"I have to get Markel from school, if Howl gets him, he won't be able to eat any dinner because he'll take him to a cake shop or something."

Then Sophie made her escape, Running out of the palace and down the stairs, all the way to the school, just as the bell rang to dismiss all the students.

"Well, that was unexpected" Justin said to himself as the door closed behind the starlight haired women. _But who's Markel? Her son? Nephew maybe? And Howl... I know that name... Of course! The wizard Howl! But what would a sweet girl like Sophie be doing with Howl? _Justin left to wonder the palace gardens. It always seemed to help him think more clearly.

"Sophie! I'm glad you came!" Markel cried as he ran to give her a hug.

"It's good to see you too Markel. Who knew 6 hours could feel like an eternity?"

"I know, you had to go see the prince today right? What did you do? Did you give him a time out like you give me?"

"No, I didn't give him a time out because he is the prince and also he doesn't copy the rude things that Howl says when an experiment goes wrong."

"Oh you mean like..." Markel decided that the death stare he was recieving was more then enough reason to keep his mouth shut.

After a few more moments, the pair arrived back at Wizard 'Pendragon''s shop. But before they could open the door, Howl had swung it open and admitted Markel before sweeping Sophie into a huge hug and another passionate kiss.

"You have no idea how much I missed you." he said before giving another bonecrushing hug.

"Likewise. But with any luck I should only be a few more days at the very most."

"Good. I don't think I can bear to be with out you." he said as Sophie began to laugh, Markel came outside to hug her again and drag Howl inside to start his magic lesson.

"The prince isn't going to like this very much." The voice came from someone hiding around a corner, she and her partner had been asked by the prince to follow Sophie and find out as much as they could about this 'Markel' boy and her relationship with the wizard Howl.

"I know." her partner replied. "But if there is anymore bad news after this then your telling him."

"Are you afraid of the prince, sir?" she curtly asked.

"No, I'm not afraid of the prince, just of being out of a job."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two;

"Sir, we have bought to you the information we have been able to gather so far on the Hatter girl" the man kneeling in front of Prince Justin informed. After receiving a signal to proceed, the man stood before the prince and told the tale of what he and his partner saw.

"The man Howl, he has alias's as Pendragon and Jenkins. His real name is believed to be Howell Jenkins but that cannot be confirmed at this stage. He is the wizard that assisted Sophie in putting an end to the war. He is also extremely powerful and resourceful; a force not to be underestimated at all costs. The boy Markel, apprentice to the wizard. That is all that is known about him. We still have not been able to uncover any family relation between him and the girl or the wizard. And Ms Hatter. She appears to have some kind of relationship with the wizard. The boy seems to look up to her as some kind of mother or older sister figure and as has been heard referring to the situation between the three of them as that of a proper family. The three of them appear to be living in the Pendragon residence, but have also been seen living in the Jenkins residence at different times. At one point Sophie was seen shopping in Kingsbury then an hour later, visiting her sister in Market Chipping." The man concluded.

"But that town is nearly half a day journeying by air. It doesn't make any sense."

"My partner is continuing to watch them to see what more we might uncover."

"Maybe I should pay a visit to my dear Sophie." the prince thought aloud to himself.

"I advise against that sir." The man dressed in black said with his head still bowed to the royalty in front of him.

"And why would that be?"

"Because my sources have just informed me that she has arrived to do work on that suit you have commissioned her for."

"Well then we can't keep her waiting."

"But sir..."

"But nothing! Let's go." the prince snapped as he left the room to meet the girl he had plans for.

"Sophie! It's wonderful to see you!" the prince said smiling, but that smile almost faltered when he noticed the man beside her. "And who might you be?"

"Your highness, I am the wizard, Howl." he said politely, giving a low and eccentric bow.

"Well Howl it's a pleasure to meet you."

"I wish I could say the same." Howl said as he and Sophie polite smiles turned into frowns and looks of utter disappointment.

"What ever do you mean? What the matter?" the prince asked still trying to smile politely.

Howl snapped his fingers and there was a shimmer of light behind him. The man in black's partner appeared bound, gagged, blindfolded and floating in mid-air.

His eyes widened and he gave the wizard a death stare.

"What did you do to her?" he asked shocked.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have had us followed and spied upon." he snapped at the man.

"Please forgive her, Master Howl but it was merely a security check and it was only for the 24 hours. I apologize on her behalf."

Sophie sighed and laid her arm on Howls and nodded. He clicked his fingers again and everything stopping the women from doing, well, anything, were released and she was set free. The roped binding her hands just melted into a wispy blue smoke, the gag and blindfold faded away into thin air.

Gasping for breathe she got off the floor and ran to her partner who immediately embraced in a protective hug.

"Why did you do this?" he demanded furiously.

"Because, we value our privacy. And Prince Justin?"

"Yes, Wizard Howl?" Justin's smile was starting to falter rather quickly.

"I will leave Sophie working here, up to her to decide whether she wants to continue or not. If she wants to quit you will do nothing to dissuade her but you will still pay her for the work she as already done and if you even think about having us followed or spied upon, then you will regret the very day you met me. Understand?" Howl was now inches from his nose with a very menacing look upon his face.

The prince visibly gulped and nodded slowly.

Howl straightened with a great big smirk plastered onto his face. "Great! Now that that is sorted, how about we go visit your sister and have cake and a nice hot cup of tea before we go and get Markel from school?"

"Sounds great, sweetheart." Sophie said as Howl put his arm around her waist and steered her towards the door.

"This isn't over Howl. This is far from over." Justin said to himself more then anyone else.

Turning on his heel, he walked towards the gardens to come up with a plan to make Sophie his, leaving the man and women to there own devices.

Sophie once again walked up to the school in Kingsbury to collect Markel and bring him home to the moving castle. There was a slight breeze blowing her silver hair around, she had a peaceful sort of smile gracing her delicate features as the young boy came running up and hugging her, just as he had done every other time she got him school.

"I thought Master Howl was coming to get me today." He stated with a look of confusion coming over his face.

"That's what I thought to. But he had an emergency at his sister's home and naturally he had to attend." Sophie explained.

"At least they aren't at each other's throats as much any more."

"Right you are. Now I'm going to take you straight home and then I'm going to get something for dinner. Okay?"

"Okay Sophie!" It seemed that all Markel could do was smile.

"Hey Markel!" a young boy shouted as he ran across the courtyard to him. "Is this your mum?"

"No. But I'm still hoping. Maybe she will be in the future." Sophie couldn't help but smile. Markel wanted her to be his mother. She basically already was and would have adopted him but Howl had already done that when he became his apprentice. "Sophie? Are you alright Sophie?" Markel asked waving a hand in front of her face to snap her out of her happy trance-like state. She noticed that Markel was looking up at her with a very worried look on his face, and that the other boy was gone.

"I'm fine. Sorry for worrying you Markel. Who was that?" she asked offering a gentle smile of reassurance.

"That was my friend Nathaneal. He asked be to go to his birthday party in 8 days! Can I go? Please Sophie? Please? Please? Please? Please? Pleeeeeaaaaaase?"

"Oh, we'll see. It will depend on your behavior between now and then and if you get all your homework done."

Smiling, Markel took hold of her hand and they started on the way back to the shop door that was in fact a magic portal to the moving castle where they lived.

"How about pie for dinner Markel?" Sophie asked as they arrived at the magic shop. Unfortunately the young boy couldn't answer because he was running around shouting in excitement at the fact that he was getting pie for dinner. He loved pie, and they didn't get to eat it very often.

"Okay." Sophie said laughing at his antics. "I'll be back shortly."

"I hope they want chicken pie." Sophie said to herself as she placed the pie in her basket. As she looked back up a bag was thrown over her and she was thrown in a trunk. Struggling the whole time earnt her a few whacks, but when she landed in the trunk she stopped and heard the lock click.

_This is not good_ she thought as they drove away from the scene of the apparent kidnapping.

The door opened and Howl entered to find Markel on the couch talking animatedly with Calcifer about his day at school. The sight couldn't stop Howl from drawing a smile. Maybe one day soon he would ask Sophie to marry him and then they would be a proper family. He had the ring, he just didn't have the courage, but he knew he would one day. One day really soon. He loved Sophie with all his heart and he was going to prove it to everyone who doubted it, like, their families. His entrance was still unnoticed.

"Markel? Where's Sophie?" he asked, looking across to his young apprentice.

"Master Howl! You're back! Sophie said you were going to visit your sister." Markel cried happily as he ran over to stand before the wizard.

"Yeah, I did. She makes a big fuss about nothing. It was just a mouse for crying out loud, you don't need magic to kill a stupid mouse." Howl sighed as he took his jacket off and laid it on the back of a kitchen chair. "So where's Sophie?"

"She went to get a pie for dinner. That was about an hour before sunset."

"WHAT!" Howl screamed, making Markel jump back in fright. "That was nearly 2 hours ago!" Howl calmed down a little and used the charm on his finger to try and find Sophie. She always wore the charm he gave her to replace the broken one from when she first met Madam Suliman and made a mad dash from the palace back to the moving castle in the wastes. Summoning Sophie with his heart, a bright blue light flew out from one of the gemstones and off in a direction that oddly seemed like the direction of the palace.

Sophie opened her eyes. She had been knocked unconscious and was only just waking up.

"Where am I" she said allowed, partly to herself and partly in hope that there was someone else there.

"You are in a secret chamber deep with in the palace walls. And far away from the menace wizard Howl."

"Who's there?" Sophie asked cautiously.

A stranger emerged from the shadows, or at least she thought it was stranger until she saw his face.

Prince Justin's face was twisted into a kind of malicious smile. He looked like he might have sold his soul to the devil or something. It was just that scarey.

"What am I doing here?"

"Sophie, my dear. I have a proposition for you." He said through his contorted mask of a face.

"What is it?" she asked, scared. Backing up to the wall as he advanced on her.

"Well, I'm giving you an option. I happen to have your home surrounded with my elite assassins. Not even magic can detect them. They are posted in Market Chipping, outside Jenkins shop, here in Kingsbury, outside Pendragon's shop and inside your home. So, here is the deal, marry me or I kill them all."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three;

Unfortunately for the prince, by the time the assassins were in place Howl and Markel had already left to find Sophie. They were running flat out towards the bakery where Sophie normally bought there bread, pies, cakes and what not, but by the time they arrived the only sign that Sophie had been there at all was her basket lying on the ground with a smashed pie with it.

"Howl. I'm scared. What if someone has kidnapped her?" Markel asked, his voice quivering with the fore mentioned fear.

"Don't worry Markel. I will get Sophie back. Let's go to the palace, I need to have a word to the arrogant son of a - "

"Howl! Sophie said you're not allowed to talk like that in front of me, remember?"

"I know. Come on." Howl said with sadness at the memory that Markel had managed to bring up. He remembered that day clearly. As if it was yesterday. She was yelling at him again for swearing and cursing in front of Markel after one of his experiments blew up when he added too much of one of the freakish green slime ingredients that graced his magic shelves. She said that if she ever heard or caught him doing that again, he would wish he had never been born, and knowing Sophie, she would make it so.

Running towards the palace and using his magic to jump up the stairs, Howl and his apprentice were running through the majestic halls and corridors. They ran through the entrance hall, through a corridor, down some stairs, through Maccas, past a voodoo sacrifice, up a ladder, down another corridor, down a spiral slide where they found themselves back at the front door.

"And this is why Sophie says we should we always ask for directions." Markel complained a little too loud because he earnt himself a whack over the head for his troubles.

Looking around Howl noticed a door with a sign nailed to it in some hap-hazard fashion. It said _Sophie is not in here! So don't bother looking! _

Howl's ring was saying something completely different. The blue light emanating from the ring pointed forward into the room.

"Hmmmm... I wonder..." he contemplated aloud.

"Master Howl, maybe we shouldn't. The sign says she isn't in there." Markel said with another look of worry across his face.

"Since when do I do what signs say? There is more possibility of her being in there as there is of her not being in there." Howl explained to the young boy to his right.

Howl raised one of his hands to the wall. It seemed solid enough, so apparently the only through it is to…

"Markel. Stand back."

Summoning power into his hand, Howl shoved it forward with ease as the wall exploded.

_BANG!_

Pieces of wall went flying everywhere. Dust and debris danced through the air before beginning to settle on a sight that made Howl mad. Not just mad, but down right furious.

"So, Sophie dear. What is your answer? Will you marry me, become the future queen of Ingary and live your life in riches? Or will you be responsible for the deaths of a Wizard and a young boy?" Prince Justin hissed.

"I would rather die then have either happen!" Sophie spat back.

The prince's attitude was really starting to annoy her. Who did he think he was? Sure he was the prince of the friggen country but still, he had no right to try and force her into marrying him. Just then, he grabbed her hair and pulled her off the floor from which she was sitting. Sophie screamed out, pain searing through her head as she rose off the floor.

"Now Sophie, I don't think that is the answer you want to be giving me, now is it?" He once again hissed into her face.

_BANG!_

The wall exploded into a thousand pieces, revealing a very pissed off wizard and a mad young boy.

Howl ran forward and punched Justin square in the jaw. He went flying across the room and hit the other wall.

"Get away from her!" Howl yelled at the bloody nosed prince before turning to see if Sophie was alright.

"I'm alright. How did you find me?"

"Remember the charm I gave you after your first one disappeared when you went into the black portal?" She nodded. "Well that's how I found you _caraid. _ I would never let anyone hurt you. I love you."

"I love you too, Howl."

But before anything else could happen, Howl ordered Markel to look after Sophie as he took care of the prince who had started to charge forward for another attack. Why he bothered, nobody knows. Throwing a punch, Howl easily dodged and stepped out of the way, then, very maturely, he tripped the prince over.

When Justin got up, Markel was standing in front of him and in a quick movement, kicked him. Yes, you know where. It's obvious because the prince keeled over and spent the next week and a half limping around and talking in a high squeaky voice. Hilarious if you knew what had transpired, funny if you didn't.

"Howl picked Sophie up off the floor and carried her bridal style out of the palace as Markel ran ahead to tell Calcifer to heat up some water for a nice hot bath for Sophie when they returned.

While walking, Howl asked Sophie to reach into his pocket. Pulling out a velvet box, she opened it to find a stunning gold ring with a single diamond gleaming brightly from the center.

"Howl, it's beautiful." She said happily.

"That's not all. Look at the engraving on the inside."

Doing as she was told, Sophie took the ring out of the box and read the inscription on the inside of the band.

_Will you marry me?_

"Of course I'll marry you, you silly dolt."

Hugging her tightly, they went home to share the good news with Markel, who would finally have his wish.

They truly would be a proper family.

The End.

"Sophie?"

"What? I'm in the middle of being blissfully happy. I swear of you ruin it..."

"No, no. Nothing like that."

"Then what?"  
"Just a quick question..."

"..."

"What's a dolt?"


End file.
